The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1 eBook

by men in this world, and obtaining which, thou mayst
surpass in fame all the women in this world’.
At these words of his, Kunti said, ’Everything
hath already been done in my behalf since thou, O
chief of those that are versed in the Vedas, and my
father also, have been pleased with me! As regards
the boons, I consider them as already obtained by
me, O Brahmana!’ The Brahmana thereupon said,
’If, O gentle maid, thou dost not, O thou of
sweet smiles, wish to obtain boons from me, do thou
then take this mantra from me for invoking the celestials!
Any one amongst the celestials whom thou mayst invoke
by uttering this mantra, will appear before thee and
be under thy power. Willing or not, by virtue
of this mantra, that deity in gentle guise, and assuming
the obedient attitude of slave, will become subject
to thy power!’”

Vaisampayana continued, “Thus addressed, that
faultless maiden could-not, O king, from fear of a
curse, refuse tor the second time compliance with
the wishes of that best of the twice-born ones.
Then, O king, that Brahmana imparted unto that girl
of faultless limbs those mantras which are recited
in the beginning of the Atharvan Veda. And, O
king, having imparted unto her those mantras, he said
unto Kuntibhoja. ’I have, O monarch, dwelt
happily in thy house, always worshipped with due regard
and gratified by thy daughter. I shall now depart.’
And saying this, he vanished there and then.
And beholding that Brahmana vanish there and then,
the king was struck with amazement. And the monarch
then treated his daughter Pritha with proper regard.”

SECTION CCCIV

Vaisampayana said, “When that foremost of Brahmanas
had gone away on some other errand, the maiden began
to ponder over the virtue of those mantras. And
she said to herself, ’Of what nature are those
mantras that have been bestowed on me by that high-souled
one? I shall without delay test their power’.
And as she was thinking in this way, she suddenly
perceived indications of the approach of her season.
And her season having arrived, while she was yet unmarried,
she blushed in shame. And it came to pass that
as she was seated in her chamber on a rich bed, she
beheld the solar orb rising in the east. And both
the mind and the eyes of that maiden of excellent
waist became rivetted fast upon the solar orb.
And she gazed and gazed on that orb without being satiated
with the beauty of the morning Sun. And she suddenly
became gifted with celestial sight. And then
she beheld that god of divine form accoutred in mail
and adorned with ear-rings. And at sight of the
god, O lord of men, she became curious as to the (potency
of the) mantras. And thereupon that maiden resolved
to invoke him. And having recourse to Pranayama,
she invoked the Maker of day. And thus invoked
by her, O king, the Maker of day speedily presented
himself. And he was of a yellowish hue like honey,
and was possessed of mighty arms, and his neck was